In a stunning display of talent and resilience, Canadian wild card Vicky Mboko, ranked 85th in the world, secured the most significant victory of her burgeoning career Saturday night, decisively defeating two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 at the Canadian Open in Montreal.

Just a year prior, Mboko’s ranking languished outside the top 300, making her meteoric ascent to the quarterfinals of her home tournament an extraordinary narrative. Her dominant performance against the world No. 2 and top seed unfolded in a mere one hour and two minutes, captivating the boisterous home crowd.

Throughout the match, Gauff appeared to struggle significantly with her serve and groundstrokes. The top seed in Canada landed only 50 percent of her first serves in the opening set and accumulated three crucial double faults, highlighting a clear lack of rhythm and precision from her side of the court.

Mboko, conversely, exhibited remarkable composure, showing no signs of succumbing to the pressure of facing such a highly-ranked opponent. She swiftly claimed the first set 6-1 in just 25 minutes, delighting spectators that included Canadian UFC icon Georges St-Pierre.

Gauff’s early exit from the Canadian Open followed two prior three-set victories that were similarly marred by an abundance of double faults and unforced errors. In her first match, she narrowly triumphed over fellow American Danielle Collins despite an astonishing 23 double faults, and against Veronika Kudermetova, she committed 14 double faults and 53 unforced errors.

Against Mboko, Gauff continued to grapple with her form, tallying six double faults and 23 unforced errors. The American candidly acknowledged her struggle to find optimal rhythm throughout the tournament, despite dedicating time to practice after bypassing the Citi Open.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, before relocating to Toronto as a child, Mboko first garnered significant attention in the junior circuit, reaching two Grand Slam junior doubles finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Early in 2025, she secured an impressive four ITF titles, achieving an astounding 22 consecutive match victories without dropping a single set.

Mboko made her WTA Tour singles main draw debut at this year’s Miami Open, securing her first main draw victory against Camila Osorio in the first round. While she faced Gauff previously at the Italian Open, losing a tight three-setter, the Canadian Open saw Mboko emphatically flip the script, becoming the first Canadian woman to reach the quarterfinals of her home tournament since Bianca Andreescu.

Having grown up watching the Canadian Open at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Mboko’s dream run continues in Montreal, marked by impressive wins over 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, world No. 39 Marie Bouzkova, and now Coco Gauff. Her upcoming quarterfinal match on Monday will be against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, and with Saturday’s pivotal win, Mboko is now projected to ascend to 55th in the WTA rankings.